Telemetric system



y 11, 1943- J. E. WHITE 2318,6746

fIELEMETRIC SYSTEM Filed Aug. 1, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 4 H r n Y m m u mm m V F V 6 WT R 9 l .N 7 [E o "M 1 "H m A m w w L w A ?r M 3w @M @m @W M w v source of energy. tlon include the use g the indication of measured precipitation to a dis- Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED AT v TELEMETRICSYSTEM Jud E. White, Knoxville, Tenn. Appllcation Aufl jl, 1940, Serial No. 349,360

realms.- (01.171-380) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, 'a s Ii-J V 7 amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Thejinvention herein" described maybe manufacturedfand by or for the Government for g overnmental'purposes without the payment to me 01 any royalty thereon...

This invention relates'to a 'telemetric system which is particularly adapted to measure and indicate the amount of precipitation and to indicate whether or not such precipitation is in a liquid orfsolidstate; In this manner 'it is possible to distinguish precipitation whichwillrun on immediately, such as mist or that which will result in a delayed run offisu-ch as hail, sleetor snow. I g

In United States' Patent No. 2,207,769, issued July 16, 1940, I have described'and claimed-a telemetric system which is particularly adapted for indicating changes in liquid levels, suchas water in streams; "The se'ector disclosed therein has been found to pose for which it was intended where the varia ble quantity represents a considerable magnitude. However, in the measurement of precipitation the quantities are often quite small with the corresponding'weight of thematerial collected '-bein insumcient to provide an accurate "response unless the selector is particularly susceptible'to very slight variations in theduantity being collected. The principal object of "this invention is ,to provide a selector particularly adaptable for a 'telemetricsystem which is extremely sensitive and responsive to small'changes in-the variable quantity being measured. 1:Another vobject. ofathls invention is to Drovidea telemetric systernwhich will measure and indicatesmall changes in avarlable quantity; A .further ,object of, this, invention is to provideatelemetric system for indicating the physical character of the'precipitation measured. .Still another object of this invention is to provide a; onl indicating the amountof precipitation meas-, ured, butalso tor indicatingthe character of the precipitation measured by the use of a single Other objects of this invenof a telemetric system for tant location at predetermined intervals. I have discovered .a telemet'ric systemjhaving in combination circuit elements forming a plurality of circuits adapted to be opened and closed by a rotatable member, a pl rality of liquid 'contact elements in saidcircuits actuated by a plurality'ot projections integral with said rotatable member, and means for moving said 'member in accordance with the variation of a variable quantity. In measuring precipitation the means be quite suitable for the purtelemetric system for not for moving said member in accordance with the variation and 'a'mountof precipitation collectedv comprises a counterbalanced floating receiver associated with said rotatable membenjin 'such'a manner that the saidmember is directly responsiveto jthe changeinltheamount oi the pre'cipitat-ioncollected in said receiver. Since the use of such a combination alone measures and'indidates thetotal amount. of precipitation collected 1 regardless of the physical-character, an indicator is 5 associated with' the above' combination, said 7 indicat'or being responsive only'tosolid 'pre cipi tation coming in contact therewith. V

In the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of the specification, andwherein reference symbols refer to, like parts wherever. they occur apparatus for the embodiment offfthe inven I tion, 7

'Figl zis a with a: portion:

tact mechanism.

' Fig. 4' with removed. to 'inore clearly illustrate the'contact mechanismk- In Fig. lyFig. 2; andfFig1'j3 the precipitation.

'2, 'falls into a-Unlted Statesllveather Bureau rain receiver 4, mounted on of a collector 7 p! and isguided to the'ce'nter ofthe-collectorthrough a outer vessel IO-"which is suspendedby cables]! shaft I6 is provided'with'an eccentric l8 and an eccentric 20 having suspended therefrom suit-n able counterweights 22 an zl. e cu e The eccentrics I8 and Mare so shaped that; when the weight within' the vessel 8- is increased due toprecipltation and the shaft IS'is thereby rctate'd'jthe restraining torque .on the rotatable shaft is likewisefincreaseti thereby maintaining the apparatus in a state of'balance at all times. 'A-gear'IBjrigidly secured to rotatable shat-tilt fengag'es a gear- 28 which in turn actuates a selector '30therebyclosing a'circuit between the elec- 'tricalconductoriy from a Power supply 14, and a pluralityjof individually connected fconta'ct ele- "l is a diagrammatic view of one form f V perspective vlew "off the indicator 7 H M of the" shell ornltted'toshow the balancin mechanism therein,

Y is a verticalfview of the selector-With I: parts removed to mbreclearly illustrate thecong; 5 is a. vertical side View of the selector I shown in tube into aves'sel 8', disposed within the collecior.*-The' ves'sel-8 is supportedlby-an ments corresponding .to the precipitation indication, represented by contact element 36, connect ed by cable 38, to a keyer 40. A solenoid wound clock 42, energized by conductors 44 and 46 from the power supply 34, turns on the apparatus at predetermined times when hand 48, contacts one of the plurality of contacts, represented by contact 56, thereby energizing a master relay 52, which energizes simultaneously the circuit for a transmitter 54; the keyer 40, and the keyer motor 56. The keyer 40, actuated by the keyer motor 56 which is energized from the power sup- I ply 34, rotates the keyer arm 58 clockwise/a1 ternately closing and opening a circuit to relay 60, which thereby conveys electrical impulses, corresponding to the identification of .the stasubsequent-unit when using the decimal system.

This, of'course, is essential when a plurality of geared units are utilized. Referring specifically to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 it is readily seen that on the lower unit the fifth protrusion is immersed in the mercury thereby giving an indication of 0.5 inch, however, the upper unit is in the same relativeposition which would give anindication of -5.5 inches and is thusly transmitted.- This indicated that rotatable shaft 92 to which gear 94 and elements 88 are rigidly secured has made 5 /2 revolutions, thereby causing gear 96 which is integral with shaft 92 to likewise make 5 complete tion and the precipitation indication, to the transmitter 54'by an interruption of energization from power supply 62.

Simultaneously as the precipitation 2 falls into the rain receiver 4 it also falls into precipitation receiver 64, which is disposed above precipitation indicator 66. The precipitation receiver 64 is connectediby. articulated members to anadjust- 'ablejcounter' weight 68 and the; entire assembly is. supp rted in a state of balance .by member 10.

.flmercury switch 12 is ailixedto the main horizontal member which. supports the. counter weight. The mercury switch]! is normally in an open position and willremain so if the pre-. cipitation. isof the immediate run off variety, such as mist or rain, which readily permeates the wire mesh 14 of the receiver 64. However, if the precipitation is of the delayedrun ofi .variety,

sujch ashail, sleet. or. snow, it willlnot permeate the wire mesh 14 and a load will accrue on the receiver 64 causing it to descend. This immediately icloses the mercury switch 12 and causes the keyerlfl to be energized by. the completed circuit betweenjconductors I6 and 18 respectively. The keyerjllthen conveys electrical impulses,

corresponding to the identification of the station,

' extent of precipitation and the state of precipitation 'indications in a .manner similar to'that described above to the transmitter. Theelectrical impulses from the transmitter .64 are intercepted by a receiver 86. j

, In Fig. 1, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5,.the plurality of conductors, included in cable 38, from the selector 38, are connected to a pluralityof posts,.represented bypost 82. These posts are connected by a plurality of conductors to a pluralityiof contact points -notshown, located. onthe rim of the keyer dial,- allfof which operatev ina manner as set forth in my U. S. Patent No. 2,207,769. The plurality.

"said selectoris fully responsive "to even relatively small changes in. collector or such otherJdevice. The collector, re- :ceiven or. other device initially'responsive to a change invariable quantity is preferably counof posts, represented 'byl'postlfl are-connected which extend through the insulation member 86. The .insulation member 86; has a plurality of arcuate, cavities, each cavity defining a contact relement" composed of mercury, having aqlayer of insulating oil to iminimize okidation. A piliralityjofdisk-like. conductive elements, represented by element. is superposed inrespective. alignment with the contact elements. Each element 88 is provided with a protrusion which upon' proper rotation contacts; the mercuryof element 36 thereby completing acircuit. -The plurality of protrusionsrepresented by protrusion 88, is of successively decreasing, peripheral displacement, for; example 9 units of the periphery are capable of being immersed in-mercury while the tenth unit does not contact the merculy :at all as this-indication will be translated by a to'the plurality of contact elements 36 by a plu-. 1 rality of conductors, represented by conductor 84,

ated therewith may .receiver are calibrated.-

'cha'ng es in the variable revolutions in which the gear teeth 88 engaged gear I00 which in turn engaged gear I02 thereby rotating the upper unit. The rotatable members of the various units are provided with anti-friction bearings to keep frictional resistance to a minimum. To insure positive conductivity between the'rotatable members and conductor 32 a brush I 04 is rigidly aflixed to a supporting meirib'erof the unit with said brush continuously and positively engaging the rotatable shaft 92. A switchl06 and a switch I08 are provided in the circuit for manual operation of the station during inspection period's.

As will be seen from theabove description the selector is provided with a plurality of'electrically conductive contactelements, preferably'mercury,

insulated from each other, each such'liquid con-' tact element being adapted to complete an elec-' tric circuit upon contact'with a projection associated with a rotatable member which has been moved to a predetermined position in response toa predetermineddegree of change in the vari-,

able quantity. v Likewise, it will be. seen that a plurality of such cooperating units, comprising a plurality of liquid contact elements and rotatableelements, maybe em'ployed so that the electrical circuits associindicate for transmission the measurement of varying units of measurement, such as. fractions of inches, inches, andten inches, respectively, or any other'combination of units. for. which the selectorand its associated The precipitation collector sponsive to a change ina variable quantityis so associated with the selector described above that the variable quantity in said terbalanced andas frictionless aspossible in orderthat allchange in the variable quantitymay be promptly and accurately considered to influence a change in position of the rotary'member or members of the selector,

A The present invention not only provides a com.- :bination of apparatus elements susceptible to measuring and indicating even relatively-small being measured but also provides for means for indicating change in physical characteristiesof the substances beingmeasuredg The indicator described above is provided with a' liquid permeable receiver so that solid material collecting on said receiver causes an electrical circuit to jbe closed, thereby indicating that the variable quantity'being measured and indicatedis solid and notliquid.

It will be seen, therefore, that thisinvention actually-may be carried out without departing or other device requantity of substances from its spirit and scope, with only such changes therein as may be imposed by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A telemetric system for measuring and transmitting measurements and phase of material which may be collected in more than one phase, having in combination (a) circuit elements forming a plurality of mensuration circuits adapted to be opened and closed by a rotatable' member, (b) means for moving said member in accordance with the fluctuation of a variable quantity of said'material, (c) circuit elements forming a phase circuit adapted to be opened and closed by a contact member which isresponsive to a change in phase of said material, (:1) means for energizing said circuits,

(e) means for transmitting a radio frequency signal, 0) means energized by said mensura-- tion circuits for periodically modifying the transmitted radio frequency signal to indicate the value of the variable quantity, and (g) means energized by said phase circuit for periodically 

